Flux



FLUX

David B. Speed, .Cleveland, Ohio, and Ivanv R. Smith,

' A No Drawing. Application August 31, 1956,

' i Serial N0. 607,254

8 Claims. (c1. 1 4823) This invention relates to galvanizing fluxes andis more particularly directed to compositions adapted to be used in aflux wash and comprising, preferably, zinc ammonium chloride and analkyl sulfonate.

It is customary to prepare metals prior to galvanizing and prior tointroduction into a molten metal bath by passing them through an aqueoussolution which is called a flux wash. Such solutions customarily containfluxing materials such as zinc chloride, ammonium chloride, and zincammonium chloride.

It is important, especially in some of the new high speed continuousgalvanizing processes, that the flux wash thoroughly wet the surface ofthe metal and yet the solution must not foam excessively. If there isany considerable foaming in the flux wash, the high speeds at which themetal is traveling cause an excessive drag-cu from the flux wash bath.We have found that improved flux wash compositions can be prepared fromammonium chloride, zinc chloride, zinc ammonium chloride, and other suchreflux compositions by the addition thereto of an alkyl sulfonate.

Most preferred for flux wash compositions of the invention are theso-called high ratio zinc ammonium chlorides. These are fluxcompositions in which the weight ratio of ZnCl :NH Cl ranges from 1.27:1to

1.35:1. These are normally made up into prewash fluxes in which R is ahigher alkyl group ranging from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms.

The commercially available material which is preferred contains minoramounts of sodium sulfate and sodium chloride and R is approximately Cwhich corresponds to the kerosene fraction. The SO Na groups arerandomly distributed.

The alkyl sulfonate is prepared as a solution in water and is sprayedonto the flux material, say, zinc ammonium chloride, in the form of drycrystals. This is done while the zinc ammonium chloride crystals aretumbled to obtain even distribution of the alkyl sulfonate.

The amount of the alkyl sulfonate to be used with various flux materialscan be widely varied, though gen erally only as much will be used as isrequired to obtain a desired effect. Broadly, there can be used fromabout 0.04 to 0.4 gram of alkyl sulfonate per 100 grams of zinc ammoniumchloride or of the other fluxes mentioned. More narrowly, from about0.04 to 0.13 gram of alkyl sulfonate is preferred per 100 grams of fluxmaterial such as zinc ammonium chloride.

In order that the invention may be better understood,

S ate Patented Mar. 24,

2 reference should be had to the following illustrative examples.

Example 1 A 10% aqueous solutionwas prepared of ang allcyl sulfonate.The alkyl sulfonate contained sulfonates of the formula R-SO Na-in whichthe SO Na groups were randomly distributed and in which R approximatesC(kerosene). The .product contained minor amounts of sodium sulfate andsodium chloride as well as a,small amount of unreacted alkane.

. The aqueous solution thus prepared was sprayedonto zinc ammoniumchloride having a ZnCl :NH Cl ratio of-1.3 :1. A a

The amount of the alkyl sulfonatebasedupon. the zinc ammonium chloridewas about 0.1 gram of alkyl sul fonate for each grams of zinc ammoniumchloride.

The dry product thus obtained was formed into a flux wash by dissolvingin water to form a 12.2 Baum solution which contained about 24.5 percentby weight of zinc ammonium chloride.

Instead of using high ratio zinc ammonium chloride as above described,compositions adapted for the preparation of flux washes can be made upby using an alkyl sulfonate at the rates as above described with zincchlo ride, with ammonium chloride, or with low ratio zinc ammoniumchloride.

Example 2 A 22% aqueous solution of an alkyl sulfonate was prepared asin Example 1. This was sprayed onto zinc ammonium chloride as in Example1 using 0.41 gram of the solution for each 100 grams of zinc ammoniumchloride.

The dry product thus obtained was used as a flux wash and even lowerfoaming was obtained than with the flux wash of Example 1.

Instead of using the high ratio zinc ammonium chloride, there can beused zinc chloride, ammonium chloride, or a low zinc ammonium chloride.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending applicationSerial No. 539,263, filed October 7, 1955, now abandoned.

We claim: I

1. A galvanizing flux consisting essentially of a fluxing materialselected from the group consisting of ammonium chloride, zinc chloride,and zinc ammonium chloride and 0.04 to 0.4 gram of an alkyl sulfonateper 100 grams of said fiuxing material.

2. A dry galvanizing flux consisting essentially of zinc ammoniumchloride and 0.04 to 0.13 gram of an alkyl sulfonate per 100 grams ofzinc ammonium chloride.

3. A dry galvanizing flux consisting essentially of zinc ammoniumchloride with a ZnCl :NH Cl weight ratio of 1.27:1 to 1.35:1 and 0.04 to0.4 gram per 100 grams of zinc ammonium chloride of a sodium salt of analkyl sulfonate in which the alkyl groups average about 13 carbon atoms.

4. A flux wash for application to metals prior to galvanizing consistingessentially of an aqueous bath containing zinc ammonium chloride and0.04 to 0.4 gram per 100 grams of zinc ammonium chloride of an alkylsulfonate.

5. A dry galvanizing flux composition for use as a high-speed continuousgalvanizing flux wash consisting essentially of zinc ammonium chloridewith a weight ratio of from about 1.27:1 to 1.35:1 and from about 0.04to 0.13 gram per 100 grams of zinc ammonium chloride of a sodium salt ofan alkyl sulfonate in which the alkyl groups average about 13 carbonatoms.

,:6'.;Adry galvanizing flux composition for use as a" highppeed,continuous galvanizing flux wash consisting.

essentially of zinc ammonium chloride with a ZnCl :NH Cl I weight ratioof from about 1.27:1 to 1.35:1 and 'from about 0.04 to 0.13 gramgper 100grams of zinc ammonium chloride of asodium salt of an alkyl sulfonataintwhich the" alkyl groupsaverage about 1?." carbonflatoms, each suchcompositioncontaininguhe alkyl? sulfonate c'o'at'ed upon the zincammonium chloride;

7. A method-for-thepreparation of' a,.higli-.speed gal vanizing fluxcomposition comprising spraying an aqueous solution of an alkylsulfonateonto zinc ammonium chlo-' ride crystals, such crystalsbeingt'umbled" to obtain ey'en distribution of the alkyl'i sulfonate,the spraying being continued until from about 0.04 to 0.4 gram of, alkylsulfonate have been applied to each 100 gramsofzinc ammoniumjchloride.

I 8. A method for the preparation of a high-speed galvanizingfluxcomposition comprising spraying upon tumbled dry crystals of zincammonium chloride an aqueous solution of an alkyl sulfonate in which thealkyl groups preferably each average about 13 carbon atoms until fromabout 0.04 to 0.4gram of such alkyl sulfonate have been applied to each'1'0'0grams of said zinc ammonium chloride.

References'Cited in .the file ofthis' patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,965,759- Baldwin July 10, 1934 2,174,507 Tinkercet al Sept; 26, 19392,311,669 Kepfer Feb. 23, 1943 2,327,958 Carey Aug. 24, 1943 2,508,501

Di Giulio May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No. 2,879,195 March 24, 1959 David B. Speed et 2.1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the saidLetters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 38, after "low" insert ratio Signed and sealed this 8thday of September 1959 (SEAL) Attest:

KARL M11113 ROBERT c. WATSON Attesting Oificer Commissioner of Patents

1. A GALVANIZING FLUX CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A FLUXING MATERIALSELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMONIUM CHLORIDE ZINC CHLORIDE,AND ZINC AMMONIUM CHLORIDE AND 0.04 TO 0.4 GRAM OF AN ALKYL SULFONATEPER 100 GRAMS OF SAID FLUXING MATERIAL.